Secret Treasures of Istanbul Tour

According to your tour pick-up time, meet with your guide and start your full-day Treasures of Istanbul tour.

Explore Hagia Sophia; meaning Divine Wisdom, Hagia Sophia was the largest building on earth barring the Egyptian Pyramids or the Great Wall of China. Today's Hagia Sophia was built by Emperor Justinian in 537 AD. It was the religious center of the city during the Byzantine period. It was used as a church for 916 years and as a mosque for 481 years. In 1934, by the order of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, it was converted into a museum and has since been open to visitors.

Next, visit the Basilica Cistern; the size of a cathedral, it is 143m long and 65m wide and can hold up to 80,000 cubic meters (or 17.5 million gallons) of water. There are 336 giant columns (mostly Ionic or Corinthian in style) supporting the structure in 12 rows of 28 columns.

Then, visit Topkapi Palace. As well as being the imperial residence of the Sultan, the palace was also the seat of government for the Ottoman Empire. It housed the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years until the Dolmabahçe Palace was built. In 1924, it was converted into a museum. Today it is famous for its harem, royal treasury, and holy relics sections.

Continue to the Hippodrome; built by the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus in 203 AD, during the Roman period, the Hippodrome was the civil center for the people of the city where once 100,000 spectators could be held. Located in the heart of Sultanahmet, surrounded by the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace, today it is home to The Egyptian Obelisk (Dikilitaş), The Serpentine Column (Burma sütun), The Constantine Column, and the German Fountain.

Next, visit the Blue Mosque; built by the Ottoman Sultan Ahmet I in the year 1616, it is located opposite Hagia Sophia. The Blue Mosque today is one of the most famous landmarks of the old city with its six minarets and magnificent dome. Although it is officially named Sultanahmet Mosque, the nickname Blue Mosque was given to it by visitors because of the amazing blue tiles decorating the interior walls.

Conlude the full day Istanbul city tour, by visiting the Grand Bazaar; with 18 entrances and more than 4000 shops, it is one of the greatest bazaars in the world. It was built between 1455 and 1461 by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror. Today, shops selling the same kind of merchandise tend to be congregated in their own streets or inns as it was in the original Ottoman system.